Biologists and veterinarians with the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito made their way south to Pacifica Wednesday morning to take a look at a sperm whale that washed up dead on the beach.The decomposing carcass, believed to be an emaciated adult male, washed ashore sometime Tuesday. Scientists with the mammal center, along with biologists with the California Academy of Sciences, ventured back to the beach early Wednesday to perform a necropsy and determine how the massive mammal died.The animal is one of 17 dead sperm whales to beach along the North Coast of California over the 40 years the Marine Mammal Center has been handling such cases, a spokeswoman with the center said.A rare pygmy sperm whale died after beaching itself in Point Reyes in January. Investigators said that whale had likely gotten sick and was too weak to swim. In May, the bloated carcass of a small humpback whale washed ashore in Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay.

(SF GATE) —

Biologists and veterinarians with the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito made their way south to Pacifica Wednesday morning to take a look at a sperm whale that washed up dead on the beach.

The decomposing carcass, believed to be an emaciated adult male, washed ashore sometime Tuesday. Scientists with the mammal center, along with biologists with the California Academy of Sciences, ventured back to the beach early Wednesday to perform a necropsy and determine how the massive mammal died.

Advertisement

The animal is one of 17 dead sperm whales to beach along the North Coast of California over the 40 years the Marine Mammal Center has been handling such cases, a spokeswoman with the center said.

A rare pygmy sperm whale died after beaching itself in Point Reyes in January. Investigators said that whale had likely gotten sick and was too weak to swim. In May, the bloated carcass of a small humpback whale washed ashore in Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay.